US trio Simpson Thacher & Bartlett, Sidley Austin and Sullivan & Cromwell have bagged plum roles on the latest multibillion-dollar buy-out as credit card processing group First Data is taken private for $29bn (£15bn).

Simpson Thacher is advising private equity giant Kohlberg Kravis Roberts & Co (KKR) on its bid for the group, which is expected to be completed by the end of the third quarter. New York corporate partners Gary Horowitz, Sean Rodgers and James Cross are leading the Simpson Thacher team.